Subliminate
by SamMademedoit
Summary: High School AU. Written for the suitsmeme going on at lj. Jock!Harvey/Nerd!Mike. Mike Ross has a problem with the way high school is portrayed on the big screen. None of those dramas or movies ever show how many dumb comments a student has to sit through.
1. Chapter 1

" I guess we're having technical problems, so I'll give it to you orally," says Mr. Onsen, the Chemistry teacher, in response to the overhead not powering up correctly.

"That's what she said," is whispered out by the jock currently occupying the opposite end of the table, and Mike Ross rolls his eyes. He has a problem with the way that high school is portrayed on the big screen. Not in any of the high school dramas or romantic comedies his grandmother liked to sit through did it mention or show how many dumb comments a student is subjected to.

No, instead the big screen makes it out like nerds like himself are awesome, but they need someone popular to make everyone else see how cool they really are, or something like that. Lame.

Mike walks over to the teachers desk, grabs the baby shampoo off the corner of it, and begins to generously smear it on the lens of his goggles. It gets really hot and humid with thirty students all sharing one tiny lab room, each student doing some experiment or another. The Johnson & Johnson helps keep Mike's glasses from fogging up.

Maybe when he returns from this little venture, the lab partners in front of him will have stopped joking in order to pay attention to what exactly they were supposed to be doing today. Yeah, right. The team that Mike and his partner, Donna, are sharing a table with includes Harvey Specter, "I-can-play-any-sport-that-uses-a-ball-because-I-own-two-gigantic-ones", and Trevor Mance, stoner extraordinaire. Trevor's cool, in a douchey sort of way, but something about Harvey rubs Mike the wrong way.

Maybe it's because Harvey's an asshole with family so loaded with money he forgets that not everyone can afford to shop name brand.

Maybe it's because sometimes Mike finds himself wanting to talk to him. Mike doesn't want to be like every other idiot who's pulled in by the jerk's good looks and physical ability. He's not a genius for nothing afterall.

Mr. Onsen lectures the class on mass conversion and explains how they are using dry ice in an experiment today. In each team of two, some one must select a beaker, weigh the beaker's mass, select a small pellet of dry ice, and drop the ice into the beaker. Then, students must weigh the beaker and dry ice so that they can subtract the two weights to find how much the dry ice weighs. Using centrifugal force, a partner must make the dry ice melt and then weigh the gas that is left behind in the beaker.

It is simple and easy, which is wonderful because Mike's partner has never been good at helping. Donna broke three beakers, two test tubes, and a thermometer during the first week of school. Since then, Mike does the experiments and Donna writes the reports. It's a system they both benefit from, but still watching her file her nails while he's setting up the experiment irks Mike.

"Here, I'll hold this and you put that in," Trevor says, the beaker in his hand. Harvey chuckles and Mike is sort of captivated with his smile, until the other boy speaks. "That's what she said," Harvey then drops the pellet in the glassware.

Mike feels his eyebrow twitch in aggravation, and Donna stifles a giggle.

Mike twirls his beaker carefully, letting the dry ice skate around the bottom. As most of the students follow suit, a faint whistling sound fills the room.

Mike finishes first, which isn't unusual, and records all his findings before handing over the information for Donna to make a report out of.

"This is taking longer than I thought it would," Mike hears Harvey grumble out. This time the irritating phrase comes from Trevor's mouth. Mike sighs out while putting up all his equipment. At least it was lunch time. He'd get to see Rachel soon.

Trevor is looking down the beaker's top dubiously. Mike is finally ready to go with all his supplies secured safely in his backpack. He waves at Donna and stands from his place at the table.

"Maybe if you blow on it, it'll go faster," Trevor mutters. Mike waits for it.

Waits for it.

Then finally breaks down.

"That's what he said," Mike says and feels kind of embarrassed. Like maybe he wants to be like the dry ice in the beakers and subliminate into thin air. But then he shakes off his awkwardness, because he's Mike Ross, and he's brilliant.

He smiles and walks off, but not before he notices Harvey's smirk curve into a smile and Trevor's shocked face.

Mike's awesome whether people realize it or not. And he's kind of cool with it like that.


	2. Chapter 2

Later, Mike's sitting on the bleachers with Rachel in the gym, because ironically enough this is where they sometimes take their lunch. Mike finds something poetic in the fact that while the jocks and other popular kids dominate the cafeteria the nerds like him sneak into the gym to eat while surrounded by the antithesis of all that they are.

Donna left her lunch in her locker, so she told them to go on without her. She said that she would catch up in a few minutes. Mike's turned away from the door so he can keep up with Rachel's rant better. It's something feminist and despite Rachel's quick, urgent speech Mike's having problems caring.

Not because he's a dick and doesn't think that women should have the same rights as men, or that women's problems aren't as important as men's. It's just he's been hearing a variation of this speech since fourth grade when Mike made the mistake of trying to stand up to Nathan Greer, the school's main bully, on Rachel's behalf.

"Women are just as capable of throwing a punch as any guy, Mike," she had said and hammered her point home by bloodying Nathan's nose. After that and victory ice cream, they became best friends. Even though he's heard it before Mike tries to pay attention because it's Rachel and there's probably going to be a quiz afterwards.

He hears the gym door creak open and bang shut and figures that it must be Donna ready to join us. Rachel has paused in her rant, so Mike takes it as his cue to nod encouragingly. When that doesn't make Rachel start up again he notices her eyes are focused on a spot somewhere behind Mike and her mouth is half-way parted as if in shock. If Donna were walking up to them Rachel would have that single minded focus on her, but instead of the look of shock there would be a happy smile and maybe a catcall or two.

Filled with apprehension, Mike slowly turns around just as Harvey starts walking up the bleachers in their direction. Mike and Rachel are sitting on the top row, so he has a little time to wipe the gob smacked look of his face.

Except it's not enough time because Mike still looks ridiculous staring at the jock when Harvey is standing next to his seat. If Harvey were a normal person, he would clear his throat or give some other indication that he was nervous since two strangers were staring at him.

"Anyone sitting here," Harvey asks, gesturing towards the empty seat to the left of Mike calmly with an easy smirk.

It must be awesome being Harvey, because he's clearly not normal.

Mike feels even more bewildered, "Are you lost?" Mike firmly believes that no guy should be able to blush after turning thirteen. It's just not cool anymore. So, when he realizes how awful and stupid that sentence is he reminds himself that it's abnormally warm in the gym. There's no way his embarrassment is turning him tomato red.

To his relief, Harvey chuckles.

"Do you blurt out everything you think?"

Mike feels his eyebrow twitch. "If I did, I promise you would have heard a lot more out of me last period," Mike grumbles out. He can feel Rachel's curios gaze on the both of them, but he can't really spare her a second. He's too busy looking out for the prank Harvey is trying to pull on them.

Yeah. He might be paranoid, but guys like Harvey don't talk to guys like Mike unless they want somebody to do their homework, a scapegoat, or both.

Harvey takes a seat even though Mike never got around to answering his question in an affirmative way.

"My name's Harvey Specter. What's yours?"

Mike wants to point out that they've sat across each other in Chemistry I for nine weeks now. He wants to point out that they were in English together last year, and History the year before that, but instead just waves idly and gives his name.

"And I'm Rachel!" A voice calls out behind him.

Mike twirls his pencil in his hands and jostles his foot up and down. Classic nervous behavior. He kind of wants Rachel to go back to her rant, if only because then it wouldn't have to be him to break the awkward silence. Even if he does want to know why the heck the star of their basketball team is sitting next to him instead of in the cafeteria with all the other sheeple.

"Trevor ditched me to go make out with his girlfriend in the library," Harvey conversationally states.

"Some friend you've got there," Rachel pipes up.

"Yeah, I guess he has never heard of bros before hos," Harvey smiles and Rachel melts in the way all women seem to do within a twenty foot radius of Harvey Specter.

"I'm sorry, I'm not quite sure how these events are related. Your friend ditches you and instead of hanging out with any of your numerous other lackeys, you decide to come to the gym?" Mike says and is proud that he manages to focus on Harvey's intense brown eyes instead of letting his gaze drift to his slightly spiked chocolate locks, or his strong jaw. This is a nightmare. Harvey's charming his best friend and Mike can't stop being attracted to him long enough to get properly annoyed.

"No, I just know that you take your lunch here," Harvey explains like everything should all make sense after his statement.

It doesn't. In fact, this explains absolutely nothing, Mike thinks. He ponders how Harvey knows that Mike, Rachel, and Donna eat here, but then dismisses it. Their habits are weird enough that a few people notice it, and in high school if a few people notice something then everyone knows about it.

Harvey laughs randomly.

"What," Mike questions while eyeing the jock warily. Mike hasn't heard any rumors stating that Harvey was crazy, but based on data that Mike has gathered in the last half hour Harvey is either really easy to humor or a little nuts.

"Well, you don't blurt out whatever you think, but every thought you have is still written all over your face. You would be horrible at poker," Harvey chuckles out. Annoyance flashes across Mike's face like lightning. He is about to point out how awesome he would be at poker, considering his memory, but is interrupted by the gym door slamming after Donna rushes through the doors.

She pauses when she spots the extra member added to their group. She opens her mouth, but then closes it with an audible click. The redhead sits down beside Rachel and mutters, "Lunch is almost over and I haven't eaten anything yet, so I'm not going to ask what the hell is going on. Fill me in later, okay?"

Rachel giggles and pats the other girl on her back lightly.

Mike spends the rest of lunch talking with Rachel and Harvey about Chem and watching Donna inhale her food in a way that proves that without a doubt Donna isn't human. Mike's more shocked about Rachel and him having a decent conversation, or one at all actually, since he's had Donna pegged down as either a mutant or alien as of eight weeks ago.

Still, the bell signaling the end of lunch is a relief. At least until Harvey gathers up his stuff and says, "I'll see you guys later."

Then, Mike is terrified all over again because Harvey sounds like he means it and not in a I'll-see-you -across-the-halls-and-ignore-your-existence kind of way.

Harvey exit's the gym and Donna barks out, "What the hell?"

"Mike has a crush," Rachel says like she's divulging common knowledge.

Mike huffs in irritation. Starting on Monday, he's looking for new friends, because his current ones suck.


	3. Chapter 3

He's walking down the hall, heading to first period, when the two girls spot him. Mike tries to duck his head down and avoid them, but Rachel at least has known him six years. It takes a bit more than hunching his shoulders and pulling his hood up to hide from her. Still, he refuses to be the one to acknowledge them.

"You still mad at me?" Mike's not-friend, Rachel questions. Mike purses his lips and turns his head away from her, which would work wonders if Donna (also not a friend) wasn't now in his direct line of sight.

"Aw, he's pouting," the redhead chuckles. Mike rolls his eyes, "I am not pouting." At Donna's pointed look he sighs and caves in, "I'm sulking manfully. There's a difference."

"Right. Well, you have about thirty seconds to quit 'sulking manfully' because here comes jockboy at twelve o'clock," Rachel says wryly.

Startled, Mike looks up to see Harvey and few of his regular cronies gathered around some blonde guy's locker. Mike registers Harvey's eyes locking onto his, an easy grin forming on his face, and his hand lifting up in greeting.

Mike manages a calm head nod before quickly ducking into the boys' restroom. Before the door closes Mike hears Rachel call out, "Chicken!" He ignores her, mainly because it's true and he has no defense. Maybe if he stalls long enough he can just go to class without having any awkward conversations with the school's golden boy beforehand.

He emerges from the bathroom four minutes later, five minutes before the tardy bell is scheduled to ring, and finds that Harvey has opted out of falling in line with his master plan of avoidance and instead is talking to Donna and Rachel about bowling of all things. Are popular kids allowed to bowl, Mike wonders idly and keeps the twitchiness from appearing on his face by a small margin.

"Hey, Mike," Harvey says when he notices the other boy. "C'mon let's walk together. You have Alberts for English right? Our classes are across the hall from each other. See you girls at lunch!" Harvey says the last sentence with a half leer, half grin thing and Mike wonders if the flirting is just a natural part of Harvey's personality because he seems to be this playful with everyone. And when exactly did Harvey find out what his first period class is?

Mike sends 'help-me' messages with his eyes, but his girls just grin and walk off in the opposite direction.

Harvey starts a conversation about Mr. Alberts and how he had him last year while walking off, clearly expecting Mike to follow after him. Seeing no real choice, Mike trails after him.

There are still people scattered across the hallway, mostly slackers who are still struggling with getting all their books out of their lockers. When they notice Harvey walking next to Mike of all people and talking animatedly, most of them do a double take or stare openly. Mike feels his cheeks burn, but holds his chin up and tries to pay attention to what Harvey is saying.

Mike's relief at seeing his English classroom is almost a tangible, living thing floating through the air, but then Harvey stops walking and apparently he plans to talk until the bell rings for class to begin. Mike resigns himself to learning more about the teacher's method on term papers or something.

"And another thing, hiding from me in the bathroom is kind of lame, Dude," Harvey smirks and Mike blinks.

Wait.

What?

His mind catches up with the moment and he automatically mutters, "I'm going to kill, Rachel. Well, no I'm not. Too violent. Maybe maim?"

Harvey chuckles, " No need. Rachel and Donna didn't say a word against you. I didn't really need them to, though. I know an escape when I see one, even if yours was a pathetic attempt."

Mike lets out a huff of aggravation, but before he can comment Harvey continues.

"It's not like I couldn't have gone in the bathroom after you. All you did was remove your friends from the picture. Really poor planning on your part," Harvey smirks and pokes Mike in the forehead.

Mike isn't sure what to make of that brand of physical contact so he does his best to ignore it.

"Yeah, but you didn't come in the bathroom. Therefore, it was a brilliant escape," Mike scowls.

"Well, yeah. I'm not a creep. I think that would have been crossing a line," Harvey says bluntly. "It was still a completely shitty plan."

The bell rings and forestalls any response Mike might have come up with.

"Crap, have to go. See you in Chem! Try not to run scared when I speak with you and Donna," Harvey calls over his shoulder. Mike rushes to get his foot in the door before he can be marked tardy or absent and sits down in his desk. He rubs his forehead with the tips of his fingers and smiles at the oddness that his life has become.


End file.
